


Walk with me

by dragonflew



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, breakup and reconciliation, injury mention, mentions of fighting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:21:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23925295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonflew/pseuds/dragonflew
Summary: for content warning purposes: set in Hogwarts while the trio are looking for the Horcruxes, up until after the Battle of Hogwarts.
Relationships: Neville Longbottom/Reader
Kudos: 48





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> for content warning purposes: set in Hogwarts while the trio are looking for the Horcruxes, up until after the Battle of Hogwarts.

That was stupid," you tell Neville, bandaging his arm for the third time this week.

He shrugs, and winces. It doesn't go unnoticed.

"Stop moving," you scold him, sitting back and trying to remember Madam Pomfrey had told you as she fixed your scraped knees from Quidditch.

"Someone has to do it," he says quietly.

He's distracted, and you take the opportunity to grab his other arm to look at the bruises. Amycus Carrow enjoys the satisfaction of physically hitting people, it seems.

"I'm fine," he says, trying to pull away.

"You can't-"

"Help people if I'm hurt," he finishes for you. He's heard it plenty. You tell the DA this every time they come in, but they never listen.

"Exactly. I'll help the others later, I promise."

He sighs, but stays. He must be really hurt this time.

"You can't save everyone, Neville," you tell him gently.

'I can try." He has a determined look on his face. Your father used to call it the Gryffindor face, whenever your mother was being stubborn.

"…Be careful," you tell him finally. There's not much you can do with your rudimentary knowledge of healing and no materials available. You automatically reach for his hand, giving it a squeeze. "I don't want you to get hurt."

He pulls away after a moment, not meeting your eyes. "The others need help too. Carrows're in a bad mood today."

You swallow the sting of his words. Time to process it later. "You're right."

_"I can't let them hurt someone else I care about." Neville is saying, quietly. You hear his words, but can't process them._

_"Nev-"_

_"They went after my gran, Y/N. She can take care of herself, but you're still here where they can get you! I can’t lose you too."_

_You stare at him in disbelief. "So, you're breaking up with me? Just like that?"_

_He doesn't answer._

_"I can take care of myself too, you know."_

_He stares at the floor. "I-they. They went after...other people who could take care of themselves too."_

_You reach towards him, taking his hand. He doesn't respond. "Nev…"_

_"I'm sorry."_

You try to ignore what the two of you had. It can't be denied that the war is dangerous and the less emotional attachments you had, the better. Perhaps you would have had that conversation with him sooner or later. Both of you are focused on the resistance, far more important than your emotions. But the reason you're still fighting is for the people you love, and that still includes Neville, whether or not he likes it.

You hide that fact from the Carrows, though, knowing it will only bring him more trouble.

Instead, you force a friendly dynamic, a relationship that is nothing more than what the other DA members have with each other. You throw yourself into the cause, hijacking lessons whenever they started spewing propaganda, paying extra attention in Transfiguration-where McGonagall was slipping in combative transfiguration techniques, distracting the Carrows from the first years, generally making life as difficult as you dared for the Death Eaters.

You are afraid for Neville, though you are proud, so proud of him, he is putting himself on danger by resisting so openly. Though, you think wryly, as Ginny limps into the Room of Requirement with a bruised Luna, no one is safe nowadays.

-

Caught in the crossfire between too many wizards to count, spells smashing into walls and ricocheting unpredictably, you shoot hexes at masked figures and hope for the best. A crumpled form lies on the floor, and you hope it won’t be too late for them, but you are quickly outmatched and have to direct your attention towards the curses being shot at you.

A tall figure casts a silent shield spell, pulls the fallen witch away from danger. He is followed by more Order members, and they draw the fire away from you, being far greater threats. The brief respite is enough for you to retaliate with several curses of your own, no longer holding back. You don't want to use lethal force but the alternative is death for those you love.

The figure approaches, and despite yourself, your heart skips a beat. _Not the time_ , you think. _Not now_. Neville grips your arm, yelling something you can’t hear over the other shouting and explosions.

You get the gist, though, and shake your head furiously. "I'm not leaving!" you shout back at him, struggling to get away.

He looks frustrated, pulls you behind a nearby tapestry into a concealed passage.

"Get out of here," he says hoarsely. "Please."

"Not unless you do too." You meet his eyes determinedly.

"I'll be fine."

"Then so will I." You push open the tapestry, ready to rejoin the fight.

"I love you," you tell him, just in case, and slip away before he can reply. You can hear Neville shouting at you to wait, but you ignore him. You don't want to hear it.

-

In the aftermath of the war, you sit amidst the rubble, watching families and friends reunite. You're still not entirely sure what happened, Harry was dead and then suddenly he wasn't, and Neville was fighting a snake, and You-Know-Who was finally, finally, dead.

And the fighting was over.

Someone taps you on the shoulder. It is Neville. He offers his hand.

You hesitate, not sure what this means.

"I'm sorry," he says softly. "Walk with me?"


	2. Chapter 2

Neville reaches for your hand, but stops himself. Instead, you wander the rubble in the courtyard in silence, hands almost brushing. You've walked like this before, the two of you, but always in comfortable silence. Not…whatever this is, this quiet not knowing what to say.

The sky is lightening, from ink black to deep blue. He can just make out your face, scratched and streaked with dirt from the battle. Still unreadable.

You've stopped walking now, under a tree a little away from the lake. Your spot. Hidden from castle windows and prying eyes, first a picnic spot, and later, a refuge from the Death Eaters infesting the school. The tree has lost half its leaves, caught in the middle of the fighting, and when Neville touches the bark, his fingers come away black with ash.

"I wanted to say, just now," he pauses, struggling to form words. You wait for him, like you always have.

"I'm sorry," he says, finally. He looks up to meet your eyes. "I know you're perfectly capable of taking care of yourself. I just… I don’t think I could have - If I'd _lost_ you-" He takes a deep breath. "I shouldn't have done that."

"You shouldn't," you agree. "But I understand."

"It didn't keep you any safer." He feels like crying. Are you forgiving him?

"We're safe now," you say softly, taking his hand

He takes a deep breath. You're right. After all of this year, after everything that's happened, he can finally afford to let go. The sun is rising now, your smile illuminated in it's soft yellow light.

And he remembers what else he needed to say. "I love you too."

He wants to kiss you, but he doesn't get the chance to worry if you want it too, because you're rising on your tiptoes to press your chapped lips to his.

You laugh quietly. "I missed this. I missed you."

"I missed you so much," he whispers, wrapping an arm around your shoulders.

And together, you watch the sun rise over Hogwarts.


End file.
